


Money, Movies and a Coup D'etat

by emmaliza



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Friends With Benefits, IDK STUFF I'M BAD AT TAGGING, Jealousy, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2013-02-28
Packaged: 2017-12-03 21:53:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmaliza/pseuds/emmaliza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU; in which Marius and Courfeyrac have a friends with benefits thing going on, until Marius gets a girlfriend, which makes everyone else Quite Concerned and Courfeyrac Slightly Confused. But it all works out in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Money, Movies and a Coup D'etat

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the following kink meme prompt: " Marius/Courfeyrac. Modern AU.
> 
> I don't know why, but I really want them being friends with benefits where they have clumsy, though hot sex where they laugh for no reason in the middle of it and don't have to be insecure about anything because they're friends. And they sleep in the same bed and, depending on who wakes up first, make each other breakfast and then have lazy morning sex. And Les Amis and Eponine and even Gavroche know, but no-one really discusses it unless it's in the passing, because it's just a normal thing now.
> 
> And when Marius falls for a pretty rich girl called Cosette, Courfeyrac has no idea why everyone's so angry, because it's not like they were together or anything.
> 
> Then Marius and Cosette break up for whatever reason and Courfeyrac comforts him (or, rather, comfort sex) and they carry on where they left off, completely casual and natural and everyone's happy again.
> 
> And then BAM!, they realize they're in love. And it changes nothing, because they were already in love but didn't know it and everyone knew anyway because they were really fucking obvious about it."
> 
> Warning for gratuitous amounts of cute. Also it was really hard to think of a title for this.

Courfeyrac wasn't expecting Marius to be home at this hour. Frowning, he takes a place next to the other man on the couch. "Don't you have class?" he asks.

"Cancelled," Marius replies brusquely. Yes, that makes sense. Marius isn't exactly the kind to skip. "And good thing too. I'm really behind. Hence..." He indicates an assortment of books and papers spread out over the coffee table, which Courfeyrac didn't even notice.

"Oh," he says and Marius continues to frantically scribble something down.

Courfeyrac puts a hand on the other man's shoulder. "You look tense."

Marius laughs. "I am tense."

"Well let me relax you." He kneads Marius's shoulder, then leans in and as softly as he can, presses a kiss to his neck.

Marius hesitates for a few moments. Courfeyrac moves slightly lower and kisses again.

Then he is pushed back - but only by a couple of centimetres, so he doesn't take it as an outright rejection. "Courfeyrac, I know what you mean when you say 'relax'," _Well good, because then I'd have to try and communicate it to you, and god only knows how awkward that would be_. "That's - that's not going to help me study."

"You never know; it might clear your mind, relieve the stress, make it easier for you to concentrate."

Marius sighs and pulls back to look him in the eye. "You can justify anything. You should study law like me; you'd be a good lawyer."

Courfeyrac raises an eyebrow. "And have Enjolras yell at me forever for allowing people to escape justice with nothing more than rhetoric if they have the money to hire me?"

"...Enjolras is studying law."

"No-one tell him that."

Marius smirks at that. Gently, Courfeyrac guides him onto his knees on the couch, and turns him so they're facing one another. "Now," he says, placing another kiss, this time at the base of Marius's adam's apple, and slowly moving his way up, gently nipping with his teeth. "This is quite a tangent. How is this supposed to help you relax?"

He kisses over Marius's chin, and then presses one to his mouth, waiting for Marius to respond. Instead, Marius breaks into giggles.

Courfeyrac pulls back, frowning. "What?"

"Just - you. All this 'seductiveness'. You're kind of ridiculous, you know that?"

Indignant, Courfeyrac pushes Marius by the shoulders. Unfortunately he kind of underestimates Marius's complete and utter lack of balance, and manages to knock him over, Marius hitting his head on the side of the couch. "Ow!"

"Shit, sorry!" says Courfeyrac, watching Marius rub the back of his head. "But really - that knocked you over? Like I'm the ridiculous one."

Marius pouts at him and says "Shut up," and it's really adorable, so adorable in fact Courfeyrac has no choice but to lean forward and to kiss that pout off him.

Marius thankfully kisses him back quickly, thoughts of studying clearly obliterated (maybe that's what the blow knocked from his mind). He tangles a hand in Courfeyrac's hair and opens his mouth to further the kiss; Courfeyrac is eager to meet his tongue. Courfeyrac swings a leg either side of Marius and lays his hands upon his chest. Marius bites Courfeyrac's lower lip, as Courfeyrac begins to fidget wih Marius's buttons.

"Wait, wait," Marius mumbles, slowly pulling back - his lips take a particularly long time to depart, something Courfeyrac isn't sure is a purposeful tease or an accidental one.

"What's wrong?"

"Are we really gonna do this here? On the couch?"

Courfeyrac shrugs. "We've done it before."

"Usually when drunk."

"What makes you sure I'm not drunk?"

"We've been living together ten months. I know when you're drunk."

"I tell you, I've been boozing with the best of them."

"Which would explain in why you came in here and got all pushy with me?"

"Excuse you; I have been a perfect gentleman!"

"You shoved me and caused me to knock my head against heavy furniture! I have half a mind to call the authorities."

Courfeyrac rolls his eyes. "Like you didn't fake that fall to make me forgive you for insulting me."

"...Well did it work?"

Courfeyrac smirks. "Perhaps." And he kisses Marius again, rougher this time, and attacks those buttons. Marius's breath hitches as Courfeyrac paws over his chest, and gasps as he tweaks one of his nipples.

Courfeyrac pulls back, choosing to be the one teasing this time. "So you're not studying then?"

It takes Marius a moment to return to reality and understand the question. "...Well I've encountered a significant distraction. I'm sure my professor will understand. Besides - you're right, the tension was preventing me learning."

"I'm glad you see it my way."

"Would you ever let me do anything else?"

-

This is their habit. It started because Courfeyrac was stunned by just how little experience Marius had in such matters; when they first met the poor boy had not even been kissed. Once he had confirmed that Marius was open-minded about where such affection could come from, he took it upon himself to be the boy's guide, as it were. Then they figured they were actually remarkably compatible sexually, and it was convenient given they already lived together, and so their 'relationship' began. Marius did have his own bed in the apartment, but he very rarely slept in it; more often than not Courfeyrac would invite him to his bed and they would grind against one another until they slept, hot and sticky and content.

The morning after one of these occasions, Courfeyrac wakes up before Marius. But he's too lazy to get up and do anything, so instead he just lays there, occasionally playing with the other boy's hair out of boredom. Eventually Marius stirs too, cautiously opening one eye at a time to avoid the sudden rush of light.

"Good morning."

"Morning," Marius replies. "What time is it?"

"About quarter to ten."

"...It's Wednesday, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you have class?"

Courfeyrac frowns. Does he? "Oh. A lecture I usually watch online later anyway. Nothing important."

"I see." Marius's stomach interjects with a particularly loud rumble. He frowns. "...I don't suppose you've been incredibly gallant and made me breakfast, have you?"

Courfeyrac laughs. "I would have, but I had no idea when you'd wake up. Plus I couldn't be bothered getting out of bed. I can start now if you like?"

"Thanks." And Courfeyrac pulls himself out from under the covers and starts searching for some form of clothing. Marius pulls the covers closer to himself, and Courfeyrac considers tearing them away and forcing Marius to suffer the cold with him - but he decides against it.

He finds a shirt and pants somewhere, and is heading toward their little kitchenette thing. Meanwhile Marius seems to be considering something. "Ten on Wednesday... I feel like we're meant to be somewhere."

Courfeyrac would dismiss this as one of Marius's flights of fancy (of which there are many), until Marius seems to comprehend things clearer. "Wait, didn't Enjolras organise one of his emergency poltical meetings for Wednesday at ten?"

Courfeyrac's eyes go wide as he turns to Marius. They speak together, with a solitary, single purpose:

" _Shit._ "

-

Marius is one of those people who, no matter how much of a rush he's in, can get distracted and wander off, so Courfeyrac grabs his hand to make sure they stay on track. The Musain where their meetings are held is 20 minutes walk away at the best of times, and neither of them drive, so they have to run.

"Great. Well, it's not like your friends didn't hate me enough already."

Despite running (and the fact Marius can't actually see his face), Courfeyrac rolls his eyes. "They don't hate you. You fought with them once, months ago over politics. If it bothers you so much just apologise."

"Like you said, it was months ago; they've probably forgotten it by now - and it'd be weird."

Courfeyrac sighs. "So you think it was too long ago to apologise for, that they've forgotten, and you also think they're still mad at you about it?"

"Pretty much."

"You are one awkward motherfucker."

"You've said."

They involuntarily slow down a bit, because no matter how much Enjolras is going to kill them they still need to breathe. "Your sleeve is getting a bit ragged," Courfeyrac notices.

"Hmm?" Marius pulls his arm away to examine it. "Huh, you're right. Well, there's not much I can do about it, can I?"

Right, Marius and his money troubles. Courfeyrac knows his family is rich, but Marius is estranged from his grandfather and won't accept his money for... some reason. Courfeyrac has offered to help out, and Marius always refuses because he's a stubborn piece of shit who hates owing people things. It took a lot of effort to convince him he didn't need to pay rent - mostly highlighting that it was pointless; Courfeyrac wouldn't kick him out no matter what he did. And technically Marius does owe him twenty euros, but Courfeyrac tries not to point it out.

He examines the shirt quickly. He'll have to buy an identical one and swap it for Marius's when he's not looking. One of these days, Marius is probably gonna notice when he does that.

"Come on," says Courfeyrac, taking the other boy's hand again, "we need to pick up the pace if we want to get out of this with our skin in tact."

-

They make it by 10:07, which is pretty good time considering. Enjolras doesn't seem to see it that way. "You're late," he says glaring.

"Sorry," says Marius at the same time Courfeyrac says "we know." They take their places at two empty seats, conveniently next to one another. One the other side of him Courfeyrac sees Grantaire, half-asleep on the table, just before Enjolras.

"Alright, how did you make it here before us?"

Grantaire raises his head a few millimetres off the table, and smirks. "An ingenious strategy. It's called not leaving the night before."

Enjolras is still unamused. "Grantaire, do you mind not disrupting further?"

Grantaire pulls himself up, spins around to face Enjolras. "Should I take that as a sign you find me boring? Unworthy of your attention?"

"Settle down, children," says Combeferre, not looking up from where he has his glasses perched on his nose and a book open. Perhaps that's not a bad idea.

"Right," says Enjolras, finally continuing with the meeting. "As I was saying..."

Enjolras has organised a protest against funding cuts to a local hospital. They have the permits and everything. Courfeyrac agrees wholeheartedly, and is enthusiastic about the idea, but Enjolras does go on a bit. He also has this tendency of asking for people's opinions without stopping talking long enough for anyone else to share their opinions. The best of men would zone out. He winds up focusing on how close his hand is swinging to Marius's, and with a smirk, decides to play a game.

He happens to know how ticklish Marius's wrists are, and the backs of his hands, so subtly under the table he runs two fingers along the veins in Marius's wrists. Marius has to repress a smile. "Cou, what are you doing?"

Cou. That was the nickname Marius gave him when they first met, which he eventually abandoned as they grew more involved in politics and everyone kept thinking they were talking about a coup d'etat. Courfeyrac finds he's having trouble not smiling also. He doesn't say anything, instead starts to drum his fingers upon Marius's pulse point.

Marius tries to hide his snort of laughter. "Stop that," he says, and pulls his hand away. Courfeyrac follows, finds the back of his hand, and tickles it mercilessly.

"Cou I mean it!"

"This is a gross expression of contempt for the working classes and DO YOU TWO MIND?!"

Marius jumps halfway to Germany. Enjolras, now on his feet, is staring at them with an expression that can only be described as livid. Everyone else is staring at them also, and Courfeyrac realises that what he just did probably looked a lot less innocent to everyone else than it actually was (he's pretty certain Marius would never let him do anything that inappropriate in public, unfortunately). "Uh... sorry," Courfeyrac says. Marius doesn't speak, just sits there with eyes wide in terror and cheeks beet red.

Enjolras stares them down for a few more moments, before continuing his speech. Courfeyrac sees Marius let out a breath of relief and decides not to bother him anymore, out of concern for his nerves more than anything else. However, he sends a sneaky smile once everyone else is distracted, and Marius returns it.

-

Their walk home is a lot more leisurely, obviously. "You know, you didn't have to panic the way you did. It's not like we were doing anything that bad."

Marius sighs. "Well, I'm still half-convinced they all hate me, so you know. Plus I'm pretty sure at least some of them thought you were doing something, uh, more inappropriate to me. Thank god Gavroche wasn't there."

"...Would you let me do that? Jerk you off in public?"

"Courfeyrac!" He can't help but laugh at how easy Marius is to fluster. "And the answer is no. _Hell_ no."

"Right then." And they keep walking, until they turn a corner - then Courfeyrac has a sudden whim and, given it's a pretty uninhabited street, goes ahead and pushes Marius against the wall.

"You know, you were cute when you were scared," he says.

"And you sound like a serial killer."

"Shut up."

They kiss.

-

About three weeks later, Enjolras has organised another one of his emergency political meetings, right after one of the classes Courfeyrac has to actually attend, so he rushes there. He still manages to make it two minutes early however, so all is well and he doesn't get yelled at.

Pretty much as soon as he makes it, they start to hear girlish giggling from outside the door. That's confusing. The only girl who's in their group (well sort of) is Eponine, and she's not the type to giggle. Courfeyrac dismisses it as a passerby until Marius comes into view.

Marius is holding hands with a girl, whose giggling this seems to be - her voice is high and light and sweet like honey. Courfeyrac has never seen her before in his life.

She and he come to a stop before the door. "Well, I suppose we must part?"

"Indeed. I'm sorry; maybe I can invite you in next time?"

She giggles again. "Ah, but you'll say that next time too, and the time after that - are you ashamed of me?"

He laughs. She leans up and gives him a peck on the lips before departing, and Marius is left with a wide smile spread across his face.

Courfeyrac tries to tell himself not to stare, before he realises everyone else is staring too.

Marius comes in, and looks a little taken aback at the looks he's getting. "Um, hello," he says. "...Sorry, am I late?"

"No. You're just on time," says Enjolras - even he sounds a little puzzled. "Anyway..."

"Who's the girl?" asks Grantaire, vocalising what they're all thinking.

Marius blushes. "Ah, her name's Cosette; she's..." he cuts himself off when he sees how Enjolras is glaring at him. "...You know what nevermind."

Grantaire does not seem to respond to fear. "Oh, come on! You can't drag a hot chick like that where we all can see and then not tell us about her!"

"Grantaire--"

"Right!" Courfeyrac says, snapping back to normal. "Who is she? I haven't seen her before, so I assume you haven't taken her home yet?"

Marius glares at him for his implications, while Enjolras snaps. "Grantaire! Courfeyrac! Do we not have more important things to focus on?!"

Courfeyrac raises his hands in surrender. Grantaire mummbles "I was only curious." Enjolras takes a deep breath.

"Right," he says. "Anyway..."

-

Usually after one of these things he walks home with Marius, but he seems to have disappeared; Courfeyrac thinks he's gone to find that girl again. Maybe his friends would have gossiped with him about it - Courfeyrac is known for not exactly minding his own business - but Courfeyrac decides he doesn't want that. He wants to get home and hopefully Marius will show up eventually and he can ask what the hell is going on.

"Courfeyrac!"

Well so much for that plan. "Jehan," he says, smiling. "Hey. What's up?"

Jehan takes in a a breath, then blurts out: "Are you okay?"

Courfeyrac's taken aback. "Um. Yes?"

"It's just, Marius and that girl..."

Courfeyrac sighs. "No, I don't know who she is, and yes I will ask him about her."

Okay it's not fair to snap at Jehan - it's _Jehan_ \- and he feels guilty, but he is getting frustrated with that question. Despite the fact that's technically the first time it was asked. But he felt it in how everyone was staring at him throughout the meeting, and it got annoying.

"No, it's just..." Jehan looks like he's struggling to word this. "We all just kinda thought you two - you and Marius - were... a thing. And if that was him dumping you..."

"Wait, what?" Courfeyrac asks. "No, we're not - not together. Not at all."

Jehan looks confused. "Are you sure? Because there was that one time Bahorel saw you in the back room and he was on your lap and--"

"Well okay, we do... But it's a strictly friends with benefits thing. And it's none of my business if he meets a girl. Good for him!"

"...Right." Jehan smiles at him. "Well then, see you. As long as you're okay?"

"Yes," he says, clapping a hand on the other man's shoulder and smiling back. "I'm fine."

-

Marius arrives home only an hour after Courfeyrac. He is a good boy.

"Hey," says Courfeyrac from the kitchen. "You're back."

Marius comes in and takes a seat across from him at the kitchen table. "Yeah." A smile is still on his face; the sort of smile Courfeyrac's not sure he's ever seen in real life, only heard described in books. It's so damn _sappy_ it hurts a little. Well if anyone could look that way, it'd be Marius.

Courfeyrac hesitates for a second. "So. The girl?"

Marius cringes. "Are you mad at me for not telling you? I meant to, really, but for some reason it was never the right time and I didn't want you to think--"

"No, no, it's fine. Really. I'm happy for you," Courfeyrac grins. "I just wanna know - who is she?"

Marius takes a breath. "Well, her name is Cosette--"

"You said."

"--and uh, she's actually the daughter of the dean of the university."

Courfeyrac raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not taking advantage of a girl just because you're falling behind in your course?"

"Courfeyrac! No! I wouldn't do that. And I'm not sure if the dean can help in that situation anyway."

"Relax, I'm kidding. I know you; you never take advantage of anybody. It's kind of annoying."

Marius rolls his eyes.

"So what's she study?"

"Um..." Marius bites his lip.

"You don't know?"

"No I do but - okay technically she's still at the lycée."

"Marius."

"She's in her last year! And I'm in my first here, so does it really matter?"

Courfeyrac sighs. He guesses not. "It doesn't make you sound any less like you're taking advantage of her though."

"Oh shut up," Marius pouts. "You're not very good at being happy for me, you know."

Courfeyrac laughs. "Sorry. But I am you know. You even managed to find her without my interference!"

"...You're a terrible person."

"You've said."

-

It's late at night and Marius is on the couch again, still pouring over law textbooks. "Hey," says Courfeyrac from the doorway. "I'm going to bed."

"Oh," says Marius without even looking up. "Goodnight."

Courfeyrac frowns.

"You're not coming with me?"

Marius sighs, and turns around to face him over the back of the couch. "Courfeyrac - I can't."

"Why?"

"Cosette?" _Oh, right._ Courfeyrac had forgotten about her. "I mean, we're not serious or anything yet, but I'm fairly sure the best way to impress a girl is _not_ to sleep with your male best friend."

Courfeyrac can't help but notice that one word. _Yet._ "Unless she's into watching?" he chuckles. "Don't worry about it, it's cool. Well - goodnight then."

His bed does feel a little cold that night.

-

He doesn't see much of Marius for the next couple of weeks. He understands why, and supposes he doesn't want to see Marius all over this girl - but the apartment seems weirdly empty without him in it, that's all.

Anyway he's not expecting to come back from one of the classes he attends to find Marius with his arm around Cosette on their couch, watching a movie.

He blinks at them. "Oh. Hi."

"Courfeyrac!" says Marius. "I didn't think you'd be getting home so early?"

He shrugs. "My class ended at 3:30."

"Wait, don't you have the class that ends at 5:30 on Mondays?"

"It's Tuesday."

"...Oh." Cosette laughs at this. Marius seems to suddenly remember her. "Ah, right - you two haven't met, have you?"

"No we have not," she says, before extending a hand to him. "Cosette."

"Courfeyrac," he says. "Well, I should probably leave you two alone. If you need anything - snacks, a condom--"

"Courfeyrac!" Marius shouts, embarrassed as always. Cosette just laughs.

"No, no, sit with us," she says. Courfeyrac is taken aback. "I mean he goes on about you a _lot_. My curiosity wouldn't let you leave."

Courfeyrac looks at Marius, who just shrugs. So Courfeyrac shrugs, and takes the place Cosette offered.

They're halfway through _Casablanca_ , a film Marius absolutely adores and Courfeyrac really likes, but may have watched fewer than twenty times if another person hadn't been involved. Cosette wraps a hand around Marius's forearm, while leaning against his shoulder. Marius is mostly paying attention to the movie, but Courfeyrac notices him gently stroking Cosette's hair.

Suddenly he feels very uncomfortable. "Actually, I have something to do." The happy couple look confused. "Nice to meet you," he says with a small wave to Cosette.

Once he makes it to his room he leans against the door and sighs. Wow. He's been living with Marius too long if he's picked up some of the guy's incomprehensible awkward. He has no idea what all that was about. If he really didn't want to hang around Marius and his lady love, he could have just opted not to at the beginning, not sit with them and _then_ get the fuck out of there.

He lays down on his bed. And now he's stuck in here for awhile, because if he goes out after he claimed he had to do something and went this way it will look odd, and yes he really has caught Marius's awkwardness. Fuck.

He squirms a little since his bed. Right. Since Marius won't sleep with him anymore, it means he's been building up a bit of frustration. For the last six months it's been easy to deal with when he's horny: head down the hall and he's gold. He's not entirely sure what else he's meant to do.

Well, no matter. After all he has a whole list of available booty calls on his phone, who he makes a point of remaining on good terms with (and indeed, showing some interest in as people).

However scrolling through his contacts, he realises something - even though he still talks to these people, he hasn't contacted them for anything sexual in quite awhile. In fact, for about six months. Well it's always been simpler to go to Marius, given he's right there. Besides - Marius may not be an awkward virgin physically anymore, but he still is in spirit. Courfeyrac's pretty sure his only real sexual partner running off somewhere else would have made him uncomfortable and/or insecure, like he wasn't any good. And Courfeyrac wouldn't have wanted to do that.

He sighs and (somewhat overdramatically) lays an arm over his eyes. None of this alright.

-

The next time they have one of their meetings, Marius doesn't show up at all. This is disconcerting. In fact, despite Enjolras valiantly trying to hold everything together, this seems to leave everyone a bit on edge and prone to being distracted. Courfeyrac doesn't know why they care so much. People have missed meetings before; it's not the end of the world.

So Enjolras is going on about inequality in the education system and Bossuet and Joly are talking. That's not unusual, but he can't help but wonder what they're talking about - given they keep staring at _him_.

This meeting could take awhile.

-

When he gets home he sees Marius again on the couch. "Hey," he says. "So you weren't at the meeting. You know, if you're still utterly convinced everyone hates you, the best way to get on their good side is probably not to skip meetings; I mean you know the way Enjolras..." he stops when he realises Marius isn't responding to his spiel at all. "What's wrong?"

"Cosette broke up with me."

"Oh," Courfeyrac says, going to his side.

"I mean, it's not really a big deal right? We were together for what, two weeks? It barely even counts," he says, trying to smile and failing. Quickly Courfeyrac puts an arm around him. "It's just... I'm no good at this, you know that. Never really been with anyone before. And for once, it seemed like everything was working out; like she liked me the way I liked her, and everything was alright. But then all of a sudden - she's not ready for a relationship and she and her dad might be moving to England soon, and you know that all makes sense and is fair enough and I don't blame her for anything, I don't even think it's about her - but it just feels like I'm being mocked, because the one time I thought things might be okay God intervened and was like 'no, because you are an awkward piece of shit and no-one is ever going to love you--'"

"Hey, hey!" and Courfeyrac does the only thing that it makes sense to do when Marius is this upset. He kisses him.

Marius seems a little surprised at first, but quickly responds; after all this is what they do. Marius places a hand at his waist, and once they break apart leans against his forehead. "Sorry for melting down on you," he says. "Why do you put up with me?"

"Well I bought an apartment that was way too big for one person. Without you I get a bit lonely, and worried there are gonna be murderers hiding in the back rooms without me noticing until it's too late."

Marius laughs. Courfeyrac smiles. "Now," he says, pressing another quick kiss to his lips, "let me get your mind off this? Or otherwise you'll be upset - I'll have to put up with you moping for ages, and I'm sure neither of us wants that."

Marius responds with a 'hmm' as Courfeyrac plants kisses against his neck. Courfeyrac looks up at him. "Is that what you want me to do?"

A pause. And, slowly, a grin spreads across Marius's face. "Yes," he says, cupping Courfeyrac's face - and then kissing him hard, harder than Marius ever kisses. "Yes, that's exactly what I want."

-

They wind up in bed and Marius's entire neck is covered in hickeys. If there really is a murderer in the flat and he attacks Marius, the police might have to deal with some red herrings as to the cause of death. Courfeyrac is sorry about that; he really is.

Marius keeps giggling into his shoulder for some reason. "What's so funny?" asks Courfeyrac, trying not to laugh himself. It's infectious.

"I - really don't know," says Marius, but he doesn't take that as cue to stop. "Well you - wanted me to cheer up, didn't you?"

"Eh. I wanted to get laid. Apart from that I would have been content to let you wallow in your misery."

Marius shoves him by the shoulder. However he manages to get himself under control, and they're left staring at one another across the bed. A thought occurs to Courfeyrac.

"Hey. Marius. A couple of weeks ago - you said something."

"Did I?"

"Am I your best friend?"

Marius considers it for a moment. "Well, are there really that many people in the running?"

Courfeyrac sighs. "You know, not everyone despises you as much as you seem to think."

"I know, it's just..." Marius hesitates. "Look, I'm not good socially, you know that. Really I'm very glad I have you."

At that Courfeyrac can only smile. Marius smiles back. They simply look at one another for a few quiet moments.

Then Courfeyrac hits him with a pillow.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"The tension was getting unbearable; I had to do something!" Courfeyrac claims with a grin.

Marius pouts. "So you hit me with a pillow? What are you, twelve?"

"Hey, you're they guy who before we met had never..."

"My sexual maturity is nothing to do with my psychological maturity."

"Virgin."

"Slut."

Courfeyrac hits him again.

-

Just like that, things go back to normal. They talk, they hang out, they hug, they fuck. If Marius is still hung up over Cosette, he doesn't mention it, and Courfeyrac doesn't bring it up. It all seems remarkably like nothing ever happened.

One night they're watching the news, and Marius is laying on his chest after a lazy makeout session. Courfeyrac plays with the other boy's hair, bored and fidgety, and it's all so nice and easy and domestic and _casual_ that Courfeyrac casually blurts out: "I love you."

For a second, he doesn't think Marius heard him. But then, slowly but surely, he feels the other boy grinning against his chest. "I thought you might say something like that soon," he murmurs, then pulls himself up to plant another kiss on Courfeyrac's lips.

It's Courfeyrac's turn to be confused. "Wait, what? How did you know I was going to say that; I didn't know I was going to say that!"

Marius pulls back a little. "Well I didn't know as such. I suspected. I - I kind of suspected for awhile, but I wouldn't let myself suspect because I was so certain I was just misinterpreting you being a good person, and I'd go and do something stupid and... Then Cosette came along, and it was less risk because, well, I didn't really know her. But when that fell apart you were still there, and as warm and kind and open as ever, and I couldn't help but think, well, maybe..."

Marius gives up on this babble and just kisses him again. One kiss turns into many, with lips disconnecting and reconnecting. "Wait," says Courfeyrac when he gets the chance, "just checking: this does mean you love me back, right? You're not just taking advantage of me now, right?"

Marius chuckles. "I'm pretty sure you're untakeadvantageofable."

"That's so not a word. And I am an innocent flower."

"I'll tell Jehan," says Marius. "But yes. Courfeyrac - I adore you."

Courfeyrac grins.

"Good. Because if you didn't, this all would have been a massive waste of time."

-

For once they're actually early to a meeting. It was planned though; Courfeyrac came up with the idea solely for the bragging rights, and Marius went along with it.

...Okay, not solely for bragging rights.

"What are you doing?" Marius mutters as Courfeyrac hoists him up onto the table. Courfeyrac chuckles against his lips.

"Come on. We have time."

"We have fifteen minutes; it's not that long."

"Always seemed long enough for you."

Marius thumps him on the back (while not ceasing to kiss him; it seems the boy has learnt multitasking), but then wraps his arms around his neck and pulls him closer. In fact he ends up with Marius's legs wrapped rather tightly around his waist, and seriously considers pushing him down onto the table and just having him here - before he decides that no, even he probably couldn't get away with that.

Partway through all this, however, they hear a voice come from behind them. "Um?"

They break apart slowly. It's Joly, at the front of the whole gaggle of people who attend their meetings. Courfeyrac chooses not be embarrassed - and even Marius, while still turning red, manages not to jump into another time zone so good work there. "Hello Joly," he says. "Aren't you a bit early?"

"Only about five minutes," he says. Courfeyrac raises his eyebrows. Well that went quicker than he thought. "So wait, you two _are_ together? That's officially what's going on?"

"Yes it is, pay up," Bossuet laughs at him. Joly rolls his eyes, but passes his friend a ten euro note.

"...You had a bet?" asks Marius.

"Well yeah. Speculating on what exactly is between you two has always been one of the great past times here. In my ways, this is the end of an era."

Courfeyrac has to laugh. Marius whacks him on the shoulder. "Ow!" he claims. "God, you cannot even even conceal your abuse behind closed doors?"

Marius rolls his eyes. Courfeyrac grins and plants a kiss on his nose.

"You two gonna stop that any time soon?" Courfeyrac's not sure who said that, but whoever it is Marius surprisingly flips them off before going ahead and kissing Courfeyrac properly again. Courfeyrac thinks he's been a bad influence.

In the middle of their being annoyingly affectionate, Courfeyrac hears drunken staggering. _Oh, hi Grantaire._ "Huh," he hears the man say. "Well, cheers to the happy couple!"

"Grantaire, it is eleven in the morning."

Courfeyrac pulls back to watch Enjolras take a bottle out of Grantaire's hand. Grantaire pouts. "Never too early for romance, Enjy."

But Enjolras just glares at him and Grantaire raises his hands in surrender. "Now you two, get off the table. We have a meeting to run. I can't decide if you two becoming an actual couple is going to make you more or less of an irritating distraction."

Courfeyrac rolls his eyes, but finally starts to unwind his body from Marius's. He offers the other boy his arm to help him get down.

"I can do it myself, you know."

"And deny me the chance to be brave and gallant? How rude."

Arm and arm they take their seats, Marius settling for leaning on his shoulder so as not to bother everyone too much. Just as Enjolras is about to get proceedings underwaty, there's a knock at the door. "Hello?"

It's Cosette.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she says as she lets herself in. "I waited awhile to let everything sort itself out. But from the sheer amount of physical affection I'd say it has, so - I'm here to collect my dues?"

Courfeyrac turns to Marius, like he might know what on Earth she's on about. However Marius seems just as perplexed, as does everyone else. Eventually it's Grantaire who stands and acts like he knows what the hell is going on (which might be a first). "Right," he says, fishing out his wallet and handing her two twenty euro notes. "I'll hand it to you - you did good."

"Thank you very much monsieur," she says, punctuating it with a slight curtsey.

"Wait," says Marius. "What's going on?"

Grantaire turns to him. "Right," he says. "Yeah - I kind of hired your girlfriend."

Marius blinks at him.

"Well, you and him were pretty clearly madly in love but refusing to take the next step because, I don't know, some reason. Thought I'd help out, push things along. Get some girl to make him jealous or something."

Marius clearly has no idea how to take this information. Courfeyrac himself is rather puzzled by it.

Cosette looks worried. "Tell me I didn't actually break your heart right? I mean, I only started all this believing I would never seriously hurt you - I even asked my girlfriend--"

"You have a girlfriend?" Marius asks.

"'Course she has a girlfriend," Grantaire snorts. "I wanted to make sure she wouldn't fall for you and wind up in this situation where she's all conflicted and/or heartbroken. I'm not an asshole."

"And I also had to ask to, you know, get her permission to kind of technically cheat on her; but apparently she's a friend of yours - Eponine Thenardier?"

"Wait, Eponine?" Courfeyrac can't help but interject. "The girl who was in love with you for ages?"

"...'Ponine was in love with me?"

"Well, yes. You didn't know?"

"No," Marius frowns. "If I had known, that might have made me feel better about myself."

"Well I'm in love with you, so you know."

Marius smiles at him.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," says Grantaire.

"Wait," a thought suddenly occurs to Courfeyrac. "Who are you anyway? Why would you agree to do this whole thing for just--"

"No I'm not a prostitute," says Cosette.

Courfeyrac raises an eyebrow. "Well you have the bluntness of one."

Marius elbows him in the ribs as Cosette just rolls her eyes. "I am actually the daughter of the dean you know, so that may not be the smartest thing to say. Anyway, I simply ran into Grantaire in Papa's office, for he was being publicly drunken again--"

"You don't know me well enough to use that again."

"--we talked, he spoke about you two and your situation. I decided to help, as I believe in the course of true love."

"If you believe so much in true love, why'd you make me pay you?"

Cosette shrugs. "Just because I believe in it, doesn't mean I can't also get something out of it."

"You exploited me," Grantaire grumbles.

"Yes."

"Grantaire," says Enjolras, who so far has done a remarkable amount of not yelling at them all for being such a massive distraction, "why do you care so much? Why make such an effort, why spend your own money, dealing with relationship problems that aren't even yours?"

Grantaire shrugs and turns to him. "Well, isn't it good to see two guys who are clearly meant to be together actually be together, without all the complicated shit?"

Enjolras frowns. "So you did all of this as a passive-aggressive move against me because I refused to go public with you?"

_Wait, what?_

Grantaire looks around with wide eyes, as if I can't believe Enjolras just said that and he's making sure other people heard it too, he's not just hearing voices. But know, they're all dealing with that revelation. So Grantaire coughs awkwardly and tries to look like his usual uncaring self again. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Well now I have, so: mission accomplished?" He sighs. "But this is most likely something we should discuss."

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"No! Jesus christ, I cannot break an egg without you thinking I'm breaking up with you," says Enjolras. "The plan was something more like me apologising for neglecting you like that."

"...Really?"

"Yes. But it was also planned to occur _after_ this meeting."

"Oh right, all that social justice stuff you guys are working on," says Cosette. "Well, uh, I'll be off. I didn't mean to stay so long, really; sorry about that!"

She starts on her way, but then turns back and faces Marius. "But, can we like - stay in touch? I don't meet that many people who are as at bad at ever knowing what the hell is going on as I am."

Marius grins at her. "I'd like that." And Courfeyrac, entirely irrationally, is struck by the urge to throw himself between the two and shout "YOU SHALL NOT PASS." Oh yay. Petty jealousy. Something he didn't miss about proper relationships.

But then she's gone and Marius suddenly collapses giggling into his shoulder again. "What is it now?" he asks, uncertain as to whether he'll get an answer.

Marius shakes his head. "Just - that was all a bit more complicated than I expected. I feel slightly used."

"Hey," says Grantaire, "if it wasn't for you two distracting everyone with just how blatant you were, people might have noticed me and him. Which, really, I'm not sure if I should thank you for or be pissed off about."

"You're welcome... slash I'm sorry," says Marius.

"Anyway," says Enjolras. "Have we all resolved our romantic drama successfully, if temporarily? Yes? Can we get on with the meeting now?"

Courfeyrac nods, and settles for threading his fingers through Marius's under the table.

"So about that hospital..."


End file.
